Grafton Integrated Health Network: Jury Awards $20 Million to Teen Plaintiff for Abuse in Virginia Psych Facility

March 31, 2026

On February 13, 2026, a Winchester Circuit Court (Virginia) jury awarded $20 million in damages to a developmentally disabled teenager as part of a civil lawsuit that alleged he was  abused while in the care of Grafton Integrated Health Network at its psychiatric treatment facility near Berryville.

The verdict followed three days of testimony stemming from a December 2022 incident in which former Grafton employee Michelle Yates dragged the then-13-year-old boy by a shirt wrapped around his neck and left him unattended in a hallway, where he allegedly began choking himself.

Michael C. Clark, the boy’s father and sole legal guardian, filed a $38.4 million lawsuit against Grafton and Yates in 2024, saying the facility was responsible for physical and emotional harm caused to his son.

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